Authentic Vietnamese Drip Coffee Method and Vietnamese Phin Filter Usage Guide

Vietnamese people originally did not drink coffee. It was the French who introduced coffee to Vietnam, after which coffee became integrated into the daily lives of the Vietnamese people. When speaking of "Vietnamese coffee," I believe most friends will immediately associate it with Robusta. This is because among the millions of tons of coffee beans produced annually in Vietnam, nearly 97% are Robusta. Although the total production is far less than Brazil's, if we limit the variety to Robusta, then Vietnam is undoubtedly the number one producing country.

Vietnamese Coffee: More Than Just Beans

But we need to know that "Vietnamese coffee" does not simply refer to coffee beans grown and exported in Vietnam; it is also synonymous with the local specialty coffee of Vietnam. In Vietnam, from the coffee lounges of high-end hotels to inconspicuous street corner vendors, we can purchase this unique specialty coffee that belongs exclusively to Vietnam. This coffee is mainly made from condensed milk and black coffee! Because the raw material for black coffee is dark-roasted Robusta, which under deep roasting produces a stimulating and intense bitterness. Therefore, to neutralize the stimulating bitterness, people add condensed milk to the coffee. The combination of condensed milk and Robusta coffee creates a sweet and rich flavor from the collision of two extremes.

The Phin Filter: Soul of Vietnamese Coffee

But if it were just adding condensed milk to coffee, that would certainly not be enough to become Vietnam's specialty. At this point, we have to mention the tool that Vietnamese people use to extract coffee—the "Phin filter" (drip filter). This device, which looks like a water cup, is the soul and core of Vietnamese coffee.

In some ways, the Phin filter is also a type of dripper because it is also a drip-style coffee extraction device. This filter is mainly divided into three parts: the filter body, the press plate, and the lid. The usage method is also very simple: first pour coffee grounds into the filter, then press them firmly with the press plate, and finally pour hot water and wait for the coffee liquid to seep out.

However, because the holes are not particularly small, some smaller coffee particles will "sneak out" from these holes. But don't worry—when we press the coffee grounds firmly, the amount that can escape is minimal. This not only won't bring us any unpleasant texture experience but will also enhance the richness of the coffee, although the coffee liquid might appear somewhat cloudy. So next, FrontStreet Coffee will demonstrate how to make traditional Vietnamese coffee!

How to Make Traditional Vietnamese Coffee

First, we need to list the coffee extraction parameters! Because the Phin filter is a typical drip-style coffee device, just that compared to other methods, its usage is simpler and more straightforward. So we only need to slightly increase the extraction efficiency, after all, its water flow won't disturb the coffee grounds, thus unable to create a stirring effect! FrontStreet Coffee uses the following parameters:

Beans used: Sumatra · Golden Mandheling
Grind setting: EK43's 10.5 setting, raw sugar grind, 70% pass-through rate on #20 sieve
Amount of grounds: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:10
Brewing water temperature: 94°C

Then, prepare a container to receive the coffee liquid, in which you can prepare the condensed milk in advance. FrontStreet Coffee uses 10ml of condensed milk here, which results in moderate sweetness after making it. Everyone can add according to their own preferences.

When everything is ready, we can place the Phin filter on the container, then pour in the coffee grounds!

Then gently tap the grounds level, place the press plate horizontally into the filter and press firmly, which ensures that too much coffee powder won't fall out! Similarly, the pressure applied when pressing will change the density of the coffee bed. The tighter you press, the slower the water flow will be. FrontStreet Coffee typically presses down to the tightest setting, so we don't have to worry too much about under-extraction. Then pour in the water!

Finally, put on the top lid! The reason for putting on the top lid is not to keep the hot water warm, but to prevent the press plate from floating up! When we pour in hot water, the press plate will float up. If there's no lid to hold it down, it could easily scatter coffee grounds everywhere!

After covering it, we just need to wait for the coffee liquid to finish dripping, and a cup of Vietnamese coffee is ready~

When drinking, you can drink it without stirring, sipping slowly from top to bottom to experience the layered changes in coffee concentration and sweetness from light to deep. But if you can't handle bitterness, it's recommended to take out a spoon and stir directly~

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473